Dominion War
The Dominion War was a three-year (2373-2375) conflict between the Dominion and an alliance of the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire that consumed the entire Alpha Quadrant in one of the most destructive wars in galactic history. The seeds of war were sown as far back as 2370, when the Federation made first contact with the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant. The [[USS Odyssey|USS Odyssey]] was destroyed in Starfleet's first encounter with the Jem'Hadar, and when a mission to speak with the Founders was undertaken, they proved to be a xenophobic and ambitious people. Their desire to control the newly-found solids of the Alpha Quadrant was obvious, but a temporary peace was brokered. The two sides entered a sort of cold war, with both participating in buildup but no aggressive actions taken. The Dominion chose instead its tactics of subterfuge, infiltrating nearly every Alpha Quadrant power with Founders in 2372. The Cardassian Obsidian Order and Romulan Tal Shiar were infiltrated and encouraged to form a joint assault fleet to eliminate the Founder homeworld in the Omarion Nebula; this proved to be a trap, and both organizations were crippled, with the Obsidian Order ceasing to exist entirely. (DS9: "The Die Is Cast") The Detapa Council overthrew the Central Command as the governmental force on Cardassia, and Klingon concern over the possibility of infiltration led them to declare war on the Cardassian Union. The Federation condemned this act, and the Klingons broke the Khitomer accords, temporarily ending the alliance and peace between the two. They attacked Deep Space Nine and pushed deep into Cardassian territory. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior") The Federation, meanwhile, was also in a state of hysteria. Founders had infiltrated Earth, and certain Starfleet elements within Federation government attempted a military coup d'etat in late 2372. The effort was repulsed, but tensions remained high. (DS9: "Paradise Lost") The Dominion's goal of destabilizing the Alpha Quadrant seemed to be succeeding mightily. A Federation-Klingon conflict erupted in early 2373, but it ended quickly when the Dominion annexed the Cardassian Union in an alliance with Gul Dukat arranged in 2373. They immediately began sending fleets of warships and supply vessels through the Bajoran wormhole and into Cardassian territory. The Klingons could not stand against such a foe, and withdrew from Cardassian space. The Khitomer accords were put back into effect; war was an inevitability, and only the Federation-Klingon alliance stood against the forces of the Dominion. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light") The fortification of the Cardassian Union, combined with the securing of non-aggression treaties with notable powers such as the Romulans, made Dominion intentions clear. The Federation was forced to action, but could not present the aggressive stance of something so bold as a preemptive strike. Instead, the decision was made to mine the Bajoran wormhole to prevent further Dominion reinforcements from arriving. (DS9: "Call to Arms") The maneuver was sure to provoke the Dominion into attack, and this end was achieved. The Dominion attacked Deep Space Nine and attempted to prevent the activation of the minefield. They failed, and as the minefield became active, the Federation-Klingon alliance dispatched a task force to attack the Dominion shipyards at Taurus III. Their mission was successful, though the Dominion won the Battle of Deep Space Nine and held the station for the next several months. It would prove to be of little use during the war, however, as the Starfleet officers who fled the station had disabled much of its equipment, and an active (though subtle) resistance was fomented by the Bajoran contingent. (DS9: "Behind the Lines") The early part of 2374 found the Dominion trying its hardest to disable the minefield that stood in front of the wormhole. By spring of that year, it was known that they were close to achieving this, and Captain Benjamin Sisko told Starfleet that the station's recapture must be seen as the top priority of the war. The station was retaken (with help from the Prophets) during Operation Return. It was the first major alliance victory of the war, and spelled the end of Dukat's leadership of Cardassia. He was replaced by his underling, Damar. However, even with this victory, the Federation and Klingons were struggling to hold their own. The Dominion took Betazed in 2374, and it was clear that more help would be needed if the alliance had any hope of victory. The Romulan Star Empire had to this point been a declared neutral in the conflict, though they were allowing Dominion ships passage through their space. Captain Sisko undertook an act of coercion with the help of Garak, implicating the Dominion in an assassination plot against the Romulan proconsul. His ploy was successful, and the Romulans joined the alliance. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight") It was with this added firepower that the alliance was able to win the First Battle of Chin'toka in 2374, taking the strategically important system in their first major incursion into Dominion territory. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets") One very important event was changing the shape of the war away from the front lines: the Founders themselves were being attacked by a debilitating virus. It would later be discovered that Section 31 may have had a hand in the infection (if it exists). The Founders' abilities as leaders were being compromised just as their military was taking severe punishment from the emboldened alliance. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River") Indeed, with Romulan reinforcement, the alliance had forced somewhat of a stalemate. Early and middle 2375 was spent with neither side offering a firm push forward into the other. To add to the Dominion's troubles, Damar was openly criticizing the war effort and deriding the Founders' leadership. It seemed to him that Cardassian troops were bearing the brunt of the assault, and statistics proved him correct. Dominion leaders decided that a change was necessary, and in late 2375 they sought the help of the Breen, a mysterious but powerful race. In the ensuing months, the Breen took more and more Cardassian responsibility, leadership--even territory. The tide had turned in favor of the Dominion, but Cardassians grew more restless by the day. (DS9: "Til Death Do Us Part") With assistance from Breen energy-draining weapons, the Dominion won the Second Battle of Chin'toka and regained control of the system. Starfleet and Romulan vessels were decimated by the new technology, forcing the Klingons to hold the front lines until a countermeasure could be found. The Breen even staged an attack on Earth (the Raid of San Francisco), dealing a heavy blow to Federation morale. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil") The Dominion's obvious favoring of the Breen finally frustrated Damar to the point that he formed an active resistance on Cardassia. He first attempted a military coup d'etat, but Gul Rovok betrayed him and the rebellion was quickly shut down. Damar, with help from Colonel Kira Nerys and Garak, transitioned to an underground civilian resistance. It was a success, and public anger against the Dominion was rising by the day. (DS9: "The Dogs of War") The alliance also successfully countered the Breen energy weapon, and with this the tactical advantage returned to their side. The Dominion withdrew to Cardassian space with designs on rebuilding from behind fortified borders. The determination was made that the best hopes of success for an invasion were now, before the Dominion was allowed to strengthen itself any further. A three-pronged attack on Cardassia Prime was to be led by Captain Sisko, Admiral William Ross and now-Chancellor Martok. (DS9: "The Dogs of War") The Cardassian resistance was alive and well, and knew of the impending invasion. They planned massive work stoppages and sabotage to prevent the Dominion from having ground support during the battle. The sabotage of power to the Dominion headquarters prompted a swift and brutal reprisal - the Massacre of Lakarian City. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind") The Battle of Cardassia was one of the largest space battles in galactic history, and was won by the alliance with unexpected help - Cardassian commanders received the news of Lakarian City's fate and turned on the Dominion. The Dominion responded typically - the head Founder ordered the Jem'Hadar to offer no quarter and fight to the last man, as well as commanding the further massacre of cities across Cardassia Prime. Finally, Odo was able to break into Dominion headquarters with Kira and Garak, and he convinced the head Founder to give up the war by offering to return to the Great Link and cure the virus that had been crippling his people. Peace treaties were settled, and the Dominion returned to the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind") Much more problematic, however, was the state of Cardassia. Eight hundred million civilians were dead, and the entire Cardassian Union was in danger of extinction. The Alpha Quadrant had lost a major power, and the geopolitical ramifications of the war would continue to be seen for many years to come. Notable battles of the Dominion War * Battle of Deep Space Nine (2373) * Operation Return (2374) * Battle of Betazed (2374) * First Battle of Chin'toka (2374) * Second Battle of Chin'toka (2375) * Raid of San Francisco (2375) * Battle of Cardassia (2375) Associated events * Cardassian uprising of 2375 * Massacre of Lakarian City, Cardassia (2375)